The evening world., 1887-10-14

are now repnfueu WIN contempt. tne OF
these features that has sunk out of sight con-
siderably is the humble lamp-liehtcr. In
the old days people who lived on the corners
would know his usual hour for getting along
with his ladder, scrambling mp the post and
lighting tho lamp. Children would fatten
their small noses against tho window panes
and enjoy the process of illumination. On q
winter night, when the light flashed out and
showed the old fellow in his red comforter
and his pea jacket Of q coat, the collar turned
fell softly about him in the warm light, he
assumed the proportions of q benevolent
being and the lamp-light invested him like a
halo.
The old fellow was once made the subject
Of @ novel, THE Lamp Lighter" But.now,
presto some subtle power fires the electric
lights, and the brilliant points stretch hke o
string of diamonds through the air. More
poetry, more expedition in the new way, but
the sympathies are not touched.
Though there Is hardly any large section of
New York that has not some electric lights,
there are still "a, 800 lamp. posts to be attended
to. Although some of the lamp posts have
at the corners, with the names of streets
ssuide.posts, w6sther lighted or not. There Il 9
are now TOO electric lights in town, furnished
by the Brush and the United States Company.
They will be increased, although the mast
light in Madison and Union squares are to be
taken down and several smaller poles substi-
tuted in their stead. The contracts for gas
lighting, have been given by the city to six
companies. three for the districts this side of
the Harlem. and three for those above it,
nearly as far as Yonkers. The lighting Of
the markets is not included in the contracts.
When all the electric lights under the new
contracts, which have been awarded and will
soon be carried out, are lit, the gas-lights will
be reduced some 4, 800.
] The mp-lighters are not engaged by the
Department Of Public Works, but by the
several gas companies. The secretary Of the
Consolidated Gas Company was in his hand
some Office when On EVENING WORLD reporter
called to gather some facts about hat hum
BILE functionary, the lamp-lighter. T.
"A lamp lighters task is to Light l5o
are more thickly set with lamps and others
less. So il 10 not q wooden law. Almost his
whole stock in trade Ia his torch. 1t is long
enough to enable him to light the gas from
the sidewalk and Is screened so hat ii cannot
hardly has to stop. The glass globes Of the
%lampposts are arranged 80 that the torch can
be thrust through o permanent opening
below, and there ia no time lost in hddling
with the door as there was in the old-fash-
Toned four sided lamp. Oil or naptha can
be burne with the torch and it has o wick
like an ordinary lamp.
Part of the lamp-lighter's duty is to keep
the lamps on his circuit clean. He has to
clean them three times a week. If they are
injured in any way he reports at once to the
Office. The %lamplighter is also something of
a glazier. If q glass is broken he has to re-
place il. He has no cutting to do il is given
to him and he puts it up. So his time is
pretty well taken up and he annot well work
at any other steady occupation. Each lamp
burns 1000 hours pei annum."
"Of course the work does not demand q
very high order of intellect or q powerfur
physique, 80 men who could not do othee
things as we'll can find work at this. If he
knows enough to come in when it rains he
can become a amp-lighter. 1t is not a good
position for a consumptive, because the
lighter has to go out in all sorts of weather"
At the rate Of lights for each lamp-lighter,
about one hundred and sixty-fve would be
required.